Car-replacer



(No Model.)

J. N. STEIN. GAR RE'PLAOER.

No. 493,308. Patented Mar. 14, 1893.

W/TNESSES: INVENTOR CZ BY v A 2'3 ATTOHNEYS,

PETERS 00., PHOTO-THO WASHINGTON u c NITED 'TATES PATENT Genres.

JOSEPH N. STEIN, OF FORT AYNE, INDIANA.

CAR-REPLACER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 493,308, dated March 14, 1893. Application filed August 20. 1892 $erial No. 443.569. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatl, JOSEPH N. STEIN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Fort \Vayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have inventedcertain newand useful Improvements in Portable Frogs or Oar-Replacers; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in portable frogs or car-replacers.

In the car-replacers now in use, great difficulty and inconvenience are experienced in securely clamping and connecting the bottom parts of the device, on opposite sides of the rail, in such a manner as to withstand the heavy strain of a derailed truck, without displacement by the tipping or spreading of the device. Theinconvenienceofconnectingsaid parts of the car-replacer by the usual clamping devices is more especially experienced in the winter season when the ground is frozen hard.

The object, therefore, of myinvention is to provide a strong, portable, substantial and convenient car-replacer which is readily ad- 3' usted and secured in position without the aid of clamping or connecting devices of any description and adapted to so fit over the railway rail as to be rigidly held in position by the rail itself, under the heaviest strain required of it, thereby avoiding the necessity of excavating beneath the track.

My improvement is also so arranged as to readily replace the trucks of a derailed engine or any number of cars, from their position upon either side of the rail without requiring the resetting of my improvement.

My invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts as will be hereinafter set forth and particularly pointed out in the claim.

The object of my invention is accomplished by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which similarlettersindicate corresponding parts in both the views.

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of rnyimprovement in position on each rail of a railway track, with a derailed car truck mounted thereon in the act of being replaced. Fig. 2 is a rear end view of my invention in position for use, showing the manner in which it is braced and secured against tipping and lateral displacement by its bearing against the top and bottom or foot of the rail.

Myinvention consists simply in the frog A united at the top to the shoe B in the manner hereinafter described, and is so arranged that the said frog is always placed, when in position, upon the inner side of the rail, with the shoe B in all cases on the out side of the rail. The frog A, of suitable size, strength and material,preferably of hard wood,is suitably beveled to a proper incline at its front end, its thickness throughout being less than the height of the rail D. The upper surface of the frog A is then. preferably covered with a half inch steel plate a, which is so folded upon itself as to form a strong, firm, and inflexible flange 0, preferably about three inches in height, near to and parallel with the outer edge of said frog, so arranged as to leave only a space suitable for the flange m of the car wheel M between the front end of flange O and the offset d. The inclined portion of frog A is further strengthened by the plate a which overlaps the front end thereof and covers a proper part of the bottom of said inclined portion, preferably such portion as rests on the tie as.

The shoe B, of uniform width throughout, is of equal length with the frog A, and is similarly beveled or inclined at its front end,but its thickness is equal to the height of the rail D, as seen in Fig. l. The upper surface of the shoe B is also covered by a half inch steel plate b, which also strengthens the inclined part of the shoe B by overlapping the end thereof and coveringa suitable portion of the bottom thereof as seen in Fig. 1. That part of the plate I) which covers the upper horizontal surface of the shoe B, extends beyond the inner surface of said shoe about the width of the rail D, whence it forms an offset d and is firmly secured to the plate a in any proper manner.

The inner edges of the frog A and of the shoe B are properly beveled to snugly fit over the foot of the rail D, while the top of said rail closely fits between theoffset d andthe shoe B, as seen in Fig. 2.

Though the two parts of myinvention,thus described, can each be covered by a separate steel plate and then securely riveted together, yet I preferably construct the plates 0. and b as one plate, for greater strength, economy and convenience. The frog A and the shoe B, thus covered, strengthened, and connectedby the; steel plates a and b,but preferably constructed as one plate, form one strong, substantial and convenient device, which is adapted to; so fit over the rail D as to be secure against tipping or displacement by its bearing against the top and foot of said rail, without the aid of clampingdevices or other connection: below the rail D.

The mannerof using andthe mode of operation of my improvement thus deseribedare as'follows: When a car or car truck has been derailed, but with its wheels still restingpupon some portion of the ties or roadsbed, and it is desired to replace it upon-the track my in vention, which is arranged in ;two forms adapted for use on both the right and left rails of the track, is adjusted in position upon either or both rails and in front of the wheels to be replaced, as shown in Fig.1, with the two parts impinging on the top and foot of the rail D as seen in Fig. 2, thus rigidly securing it in place. When'the wheel M is then started up the incline of the frog A, the flange m of said wheel will constantly impinge on :the flange 0, the wheelM' at thesame time going up the incline of shoe B, which impingingof the wheel M on the flange O willgradually draw the wheels M and M nearer to the rails D and D, until when the said wheels'reach the forward end of my improvement, the flange m of the wheel M will be crowded against the offset d, thereby forcing the flange n of.the wheel M to the inside of ofiset (i, when both wheels will be in position on ;the track. The said wheels would be replaced upon the track in like manner, should the position of the said wheels relatively to the track, be reversed, 't'. 6. should the wheel M be upon the outside of rail D and the wheel M be upon the inside of the rail D.

Though the strain upon my car replacer, by the impingement of the wheel M against the flange 0, is very strong, and has a tendency to spread or separate its parts, and also to tip the same, yet the strength of the steel plates is suificient to resist the strain, and the hearing of the frog A and the shoe B against the foot and top of the rail D prevents the possibility of displacement by tipping or overturnand unsafe clamping and fastening devices ofxall kinds, and which isatalltimes and;in all seasons readilyyadj ustedv and safely; and efficiently employed,iu the manner above set forthand described.

What I claim, therefore, as my invention, and desire to secure.byLetters'Patent, is-

A portable frog or car-replacer comprising a frog A having an inelinedfaee and provided with a longitudinal guiding flange 0 adapted to force the impinging derailed car wheel into position upon. thetrack, and a shoe B having an inclined face I), and ahorizontal face g extending over and resting .upon the tread of therail'andunited'to the frog A by the offset d, all substantially asset forth and described.

Signed by me this 17th day of August, 1892.

JOSEPH N. STEIN. Witnesses:

O. J. MCLAIN, P. L. ZORBAUGH. 

